Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky’s volleyball team gave Jacksonville State its first conference loss of the season, shutting out the Gamecocks 3-0 tonight at McBrayer Arena. The win, coupled with Southeast Missouri’s 3-2 loss at Eastern Illinois, keeps the Colonels in the hunt for a berth in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

A SEMO win tonight would have eliminated Eastern Kentucky from playoff contention. The Redhawks trailed 2-1, came back to tie the match at 2-2, before losing the fifth set by a score of 15-13. The Colonels control their own destiny. A pair of wins, one against Tennessee Tech on Saturday and another over Eastern Illinois in a possible make-up match next week, sends EKU to the OVC tournament.

Jacksonville State came to Richmond with a 17-match winning streak and a perfect 16-0 conference mark with two matches left to play.

Hannah Groudle led Eastern Kentucky (8-18, 7-9 OVC) with 12 kills. She had three service aces, one of which clipped the net and gave the Colonels match-point in the third set. The sophomore made only one error in 20 attacks for a .550 hitting percentage.

Senior Lindsey Loescher added 11 kills. Junior Autumn Harms finished with seven kills and five blocks. #Abby O’Connor# recorded a match-best 24 digs.

Brittney Whitten led JSU (23-6, 16-1 OVC) with eight kills.

As a team EKU posted 43 kills and a .216 attack percentage. The Gamecocks finished with 32 kills and hit .084 for the match. Eastern held an 8-4 advantage in blocks.

In the first set, JSU jumped out to a 2-1 lead, but a kill by Harms began a 9-1 Colonel run and the home team never trailed again in the set. Back-to-back kills by Groudle capped the run and put Eastern on top 10-3. Four unanswered by Jacksonville State tied the score, 15-15, and a kill by Alyx Schulte tied it again at 17-17.

On the next series, a Gamecock attack error put EKU on top by one and the Colonels led the rest of the way. Back-to-back attack errors by Jacksonville State gave Eastern set-point, 24-19. Moments later a kill by Groudle ended the opening set 25-22 in favor of the home team.

Jacksonville State led early in the second set as well. An EKU attack error put the visitors on top 4-1. Another Eastern error kept the Gamecocks up by three, 7-4. However, the Colonels went on a 14-4 run to take complete control. The first of three straight kills by Groudle tied the set 7-7. An ace by Groudle stretched the margin to 16-10. An ace by Kelsey Rose capped the run and put Eastern in front by seven, 18-11.

Another kill by Groudle pushed EKU to set-point and a kill by Kate Hendle ended the set, 25-16, and put the Colonels on top 2-0. Eastern hit .310 in the second set, making just four errors in 42 attempts.

The third set followed the same story line. The Gamecocks jumped in front 5-0 and led 10-5 after a kill by Kara Slater. However, the Colonels refused to fold. Eastern Kentucky used an 8-2 run to turn a five-point deficit into a one-point lead. Four JSU errors contributed to the run. The final two gave Eastern a 13-12 advantage.

Jacksonville State tied it at 13-13 but an error on the ensuing serve gave EKU the lead for good. The Colonels never led by more than three until Groudle’s serve just clipped the net and fell in front of JSU’s Whitten. That point gave Eastern match-point 24-20. The match ended on the next series with another Gamecock attack error.

The Colonels will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday against Tennessee Tech. The match will begin at 4 p.m.